New Study on Acupuncture to Reduce Pain and Inflammation in Children with Acute Appendicitis

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - May 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Acupuncture was shown to lessen pain and reduce the underlying inflammation in pediatric patients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, according to a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2015.0024) website until June 12, 2015.

Alan L. Nager, MD, MHA and coauthors from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California assessed subjective pain among pediatric patients immediately before and 20 minutes after treatment by a licensed acupuncturist. The researchers also measured two biomarkers of inflammation in blood samples taken before, during, and 30 minutes after needle placement.

In the article “Effects of Acupuncture on Pain and Inflammation in Pediatric Emergency Department Patients with Acute Appendicitis: A Pilot Study (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2015.0024),” the authors report that the patients’ subjective pain decreased, likely due to the acupuncture treatment. Furthermore, one of the inflammatory biomarkers (white blood cell count) “showed a modest and noticeable drop,” suggesting “that the effectiveness of acupuncture may have a biophysiological basis.”

About the Journal
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (http://www.liebertpub.com/acm) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published online with Open Access options and in print. The Journal provides observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (http://www.liebertpub.com/acm) website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) website.